Cafelehoare in Manchester

This place has gone down hill since it became chez mal from Smoak.Bad points1. After our orders were taken there was no interaction by any member of staff throughout the meal. I had to get up and go find a staff member to ask for a steak knife. No one checked in to see how our food was. After the starter it took approximately 30 mins for them to clear the table.2. I ordered my steak Medium rare. What arrived was a well done, tougher than nails lump of cardboard. It was also cold as if it had been left on the serving counter for a good 10 mins before being brought to the table. Given how long we had been waiting for food and there wasn’t a staff member in sight I decided to not complain as I really didn’t want to wait another 45-60 mins for another one.3. A couple were seated at a table next to us as we were eating our mains and seemed to have constant service. A woman kept coming to their table every 5 mins to check on them but not once thought to ask why I wasn’t eating my steak and had my phone torch on it examining it from every angle. It shouldn’t matter who you are, service should be a standard for every customer.Good points1. The nice waiter in the red waistcoat who seemed completely ran off his feet. Paid attention to us when seating us and taking our order. Unfortunately I imagine they were understaffed and he didn’t get chance to come back until the bill was being paid. Would not let us pay a gratuity because of the steak.2. The starters of the tiger prawns and calamari were very good as usual.This is my second time here since it became Chez Mal and both times have been rather disappointing. Probably will not be making a third trip.

Why was the Soup not warm enough? This place used to be really impressive a few years ago. What has happened since? Is it a change of chef or management? Mushroom Soups for starters were only just warm. We’re in the colder seasons now so this was poor. You don’t need to be a trained chef to know if soup is hot enough or not - it’s a basic requirement. Limited menu, not enough choice. Main courses were disappointing with a £15/£17 price tag. The waitress failed to recommend side dishes (at an additional £4 cost) so the chicken was literally just a chicken on a plate with a little garnish. There wasn’t enough lamb in the curry either, and too much liquid. Sticky toffee pudding was this meal’s only saving grace, it was nicely presented and warm. So the two stars are for dessert only. What a shame, we were disappointed in what should have been a memorable evening before lockdown begins. This place needs to improve when it reopens. I don’t want to go back though.

Fast service friendly staffs delicious fish cake with spinach and creamy mash, freshly baked apple crumble mouth watering dishes great price

Great service, tasty food and crucially air conditioned.. Recommend it!

Fabulous food, staff & surroundings, after almost 20 years of going here. We had great service from start to finish, with excellent food, knowledge of the menu and it was very enjoyable. Chez Mal is quite a laid back higher end restaurant that offers nothing less than a memorable experience. Thanks for having us over bank holiday weekend...again!

Lovely food and experience. Luxury and comfort combined. Food was good although was hoping for the creme brulee to have more creme to it as I've often seen it in pots not a shallow dish.didnt really enjoy starter but that's due to personal taste. Some of the dishes could've done with a bit more flavouring but good overall. Dessert was best by far.

We had the Mal afternoon tea. We had a great booth table by the window. A great box selection of teas presented us on the table. The selection of savoury and sweets were fantastic. The scones were served warm with a generous dollop of jam and clotted cream. Altogether the food tasted superb. The best afternoon we've had!

Great food. Service was good but expect a long stay, approximately 2 hours for dinner on a week night.

I went with friends two nights in a row. First night, started with a negroni, seared tuna and sticky toffee pudding - all excellent. We sat near the kitchen, so we saw these delicious looking burgers being made.The second night started with a Daiquiri and the burger - again everything was excellant.We had the same table and server both nights, and the service was consistent. I agree with other comments that timing was a bit odd, but service was pleasant.

Food was great but service was lacking somewhat, had to wait to find us a table when they finally found one ten minutes later, it was the one we'd said was free when we walked in. Not a great experience.